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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Choosing the Right Down Comforter

To sleep, perchance to dream. There's nothing like accomplishing this on a soft bed and breathing in the smell of freshly laundered bedding, and snuggling under a fluffy down comforter. A warm soft down comforter, is the ultimate sleeping partner - it gives you the warmth to ward off the chill during winter, or an ultra light comforter during summers to prevent you from dripping sweat.

Down Comforters

You don't have to be rich to have bedding fit for royalty. Down pillows and soft and warm down comforters not only add a luxurious touch to your bedroom and enhance the looks of your private sanctum, these also give you the comfort you crave for a fitful sleep. But how do you choose your comforter when basically they all look the same? Forget the looks, look for clues such as the quality of the feather and thread count.

Generally, there are several choices when choosing the right down comforter. There are down comforters designed for the four seasons and the different climates. Living in cold climes or tropical areas dictates that you get a down comforter to suit the climate and temperatures. Why use a down comforter? With just one thick down comforter you get the warmth that would be generated by 14 layers of wool blankets.

A comforter's price jacks up when the stuff inside is made from the down. Down are not feathers, they are fine feather-like stuff under the regular feathers. Down comforters are stuffed with goose down feathers and these are no ordinary feathers. These feathers are found on the bellies of geese. When geese alight on water, these feathers keep them warm. These natural insulators make perfect stuffing for comforters because these are soft, airy, and have the ability to breathe through natural fabrics.

Geese that originate from colder climates have more down feathers and the larger the geese, the more down feathers can be harvested. The quality of the feather is also affected by the size of the bird and its geographical origin. To get a picture of how much of this stuff goes into the comforter, it would take a number of geese to provide white down feathers because there are only five ounces of down in every pound of goose feathers. Knowing this information helps you understand the economics behind down comforters.

Choosing Your Comforter

Quality down comforters is determined by the types of down, thread count, and power fill. Goose down is pricier than duck down simply because goose down is far superior to duck down. When choosing your pillows and comforter check the label for 100% white down. This assures you that that there are no hard fillers such as feather with uncomfortable quills.

When it comes to thread count look for high thread count; you wouldn't want the down streaming out of your comforter or pillows and also check the weave. The tighter the better because the down stays where it should be - inside the pillows and comforters.

Fill power indicates the size of down. The bigger the pieces, the fluffier and warmer your pillows and comforters will be. If you live in warmer areas, choose a comforter suited for the temperature. The sales person can help you choose a comforter that's right for summer, autumn, winter, or for tropical weather.